These Classy Yin Yang Tattoo Designs Will Inspire You to Get Inked

The yin yang symbol is a part of Chinese culture that portrays philosophy of how opposites attract each other. This symbol has been popularly used for tattooing and there are several interesting yin yang tattoo designs. The article given below provides brief information on the meaning, designs and placements of these tattoos.

Mayuri Kulkarni

Last Updated: Mar 19, 2018

Tattoos are nothing but symbols by which we humans try to implement the various philosophies that have been followed for centuries. May it be the Japanese koi fish tattoo or a Celtic tattoo, each of these tattoos belong to some culture or tribe and has typical philosophical meaning associated with it. Tattooing is a beautiful body art wherein these philosophical symbols are incorporated on human body in artistic manner. Yin yang symbol also called Taijitu is a Taoist symbol and belongs to Chinese culture. When the trend of tattooing was growing these symbols became very popular among the tattoo lovers. Before moving on to know about the yin yang tattoo designs, let us take a look at their meaning.

Yin Yang Tattoo Meaning

A basic yin yang symbol is circular in shape and is divided into two symmetrical parts that are black and white in color. Each of these parts contains a small circular drop of opposite color. Both these symmetrical parts fit into each other like pieces of puzzle and form the complete yin yang symbol. The black portion of this symbol is called yin, while the white part is called yang. According to the Chinese culture, the yin part is considered to possess characteristics of a female and is destructive in nature, while the yang part bears male features and is very creative. Thus the Chinese philosophy states that though these parts are opposite in nature, they attract each other and form the basic five elements that create the Universe. These elements include, earth, water, fire, metal and wood.

Basically the yin yang symbol promotes the union of two contrasting elements and symbolizes unity and harmony. There are seven laws of yin yang symbol and some of them are as follows. Everything in this Universe is not permanent, everything must come to end one day, there are always two perspectives to a thing, no two things in this Universe are similar and opposites always attract. The yin part of the symbol can represent female, darkness, passive, night, water and Earth, while the yang can represent male, active, day, fire and air. Now, let us take a look at some yin yang tattoo designs and their placement options.

Yin Yang Tattoo Designs and Placements

If you want to keep the tattoo very simple, you can always have the traditional designs. A serpent, a dragon, or any other Chinese tattoo encircling the yin yang symbol makes a simple yet elegant tattoo. One can even have fire flashes or water waves that surround the yin yang symbol. Yin yang tattoos are very versatile and because of their interesting meanings, these tattoos can be easily customized. The combination of dragon and phoenix, facing each other in a circular manner, has always been a popular design. Opposite elements such as water and fire, earth and air can be used to create an interesting tattoo design. Animals or fantasy creatures can also be used in style to create yin yang tattoos. An example would be to depict a meek looking rabbit, wrapped around one side and on the other side a fierce tiger. Yin yang tattoos can also be combined with other tattoo designs, like dragon tattoos, phoenix tattoo designs, dolphin tattoo designs, koi fish tattoos, etc.

It is not always necessary to have two opposite elements in an yin yang tattoo. One can also have same object carved in two different colors. Two koi fish carved in circular manner with their mouths facing each other's tail is one of the most popular designs. Other animals that can be sculpted in such manner include, lizards, tigers, dolphins, etc. A yin yang tattoo can also be carved with a Celtic knot or a nautical star in the middle. Though the traditional colors used are black and white, they can be carved with many other vibrant colors according to the design.

There are no rules to place the yin yang tattoo and you can place it anywhere on your body. These tattoos are usually small in size and hence look great on any body part. If the tattoo is large in size, upper back and upper arm make good placement options. While small tattoos can be placed on wrist, lower back and ankles.

Yin yang tattoo designs are very flexible and versatile in nature and hence you can get a design that has appealed you the most. Make sure you have made good search of all the possible design options and then get the tattoo on your favorite body part.